Medicine Within: A Nature Retreat for Ceremony, Movement, and Renewal

5–7 December 2025 | Phakalane Retreat, Hout Bay, Cape Town

In a world that moves fast and demands more, there comes a moment when the body whispers, slow down.

Medicine Within is that pause—a three-day retreat designed to help you tune out the noise of daily life and reconnect with the quiet wisdom already living inside you.

A Retreat to Reconnect and Remember

Set in the tranquil forests of Phakalane Retreat at the foothills of the Hout Bay mountains, Medicine Within brings together guided ceremony, somatic movement, sound healing, and creative reflection.

Surrounded by indigenous plant life and the gentle sounds of birdsong, you’ll have space to listen, breathe, and return to what truly matters.

You’ll be invited to explore how ceremony, nature, and embodied practices can restore clarity, compassion, and creativity: the medicine that already exists within you.

What You’ll Experience

Over the course of three nourishing days, you’ll move through:

Morning Micro-Medicine Ceremony with cacao, meditation, movement, and earth-honouring rituals
Intuitive Movement Sessions to release tension, invite vitality, and play
Creative Integration Practices through art collage, journaling, and group sharing
Sound Healing Journey to ground and rebalance
Nature Connection via forest hikes to nearby waterfalls
Sauna and Fireside Gatherings for rest, reflection, and community

Every element is designed to help you re-pattern old ways of being, expand your perspective, and step into more centred, authentic alignment.

Why Phakalane Retreat

Nestled in a lush forest only 25 minutes from Cape Town, Phakalane Retreat embodies wabi-sabi elegance, and beauty in simplicity. The sanctuary offers sweeping mountain views, access to pristine hiking trails, and spaces curated for stillness and renewal. It’s the perfect blend of nature’s wildness and modern comfort, allowing you to fully unwind without needing to travel far.

Your Facilitator

Francesca Rose Annenberg is a trauma-informed somatic practitioner specializing in nervous-system health, microdosing and psychedelic integration, disordered eating and body image, and intuitive movement practices.

Her work weaves together an animist worldview with frameworks like Polyvagal Theory, IFS, and attachment theory, creating spaces where participants can safely reconnect with their bodies and rediscover trust in their own inner wisdom.

“Your body is your greatest ally and wisest guide. Healing begins when you learn to listen.”

Who This Retreat Is For

Medicine Within is ideal for those who:

Feel called to slow down and reset in nature
Are exploring ceremonial or psychedelic practices such as microdosing
Crave embodied ways to reconnect with creativity and purpose
Appreciate stillness, gentle community, and mindful ritual
Seek personal growth through movement, reflection, and nature-based spirituality

Whether you’re travelling from South Africa, Europe, or the US, this weekend retreat offers a sanctuary for introspection and renewal, inviting you to remember that the healing you seek already lives within you.

How to Join

Because Medicine Within includes ceremonial work, all participants are asked to book a free 30-minute preparation call with Francesca before attending.

To reserve your place:
Email hello@francescaeatsroses.com